Mississippi Criminal Gives New Meaning to “Under Cover” Operation

A six-month-long run from the law became an “under cover” operation when fugitive Gilbert Thanh Le was found Feb. 17 under a pile of blankets in Biloxi, Miss., reports the Sun Herald of Biloxi-Gulfport.

Le, 20, was wanted on a charge of failure to appear in court on a felony charge of possession of stolen firearms. He’d been on the run since a warrant was issued for his arrest Aug. 24.

“Despite his six-month run from the law and his best efforts to avoid arrest today, Le was ultimately found hiding under a pile of blankets in another family member’s bed. Now he will have a bed of his own at the Harrison County jail,” said Marshals Service Supervisory Inspector Justin Vickers in the newspaper report.

Le was among 26 featured in the January 29 installment of the Sun Herald’s most-wanted series. He is one of at least five taken into custody since January.

Agents with the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and Biloxi police arrested Le, but Mississippi is one of the states that has specific legislation pertaining to Bounty Hunters, or “Bail Enforcement Agents” as they are known.

Fugitive Recovery Agents enjoy a great deal of freedom and are allowed to make arrests anywhere in the state, as well as having the luxury of requesting the assistance of law enforcement in making an arrest, according to www.become-a-bounty-hunter.com.

Source: “Most-wanted suspect found hiding under blankets,” by Margaret Baker, published at SunHerald.com.